The Pokémon Ranger Union

Devoted to keeping the peace, protecting nature, and serving the people, the Pokémon Ranger Union employs people from across the globe. As a form of law enforcement, a Pokémon Ranger is equipped with a Capture Styler designed to calm down and recruit wild Pokémon, and has the authority to pursue and capture criminals who would endanger Pokémon or people.

Lunick and Solana

The player is offered a choice of gender, with males playing as Lunick and females playing as Solana. Whichever the player chooses is a new Ranger being employed in the land of Fiore. The one you don't choose instead serves as a friend and partner.

Mission Control: As one of the heads of the Ranger Union, he'll often assign missions to the player or contact them over voicemail.

Nice Hat: In the first game. He ditches it in the next two for some reason.

Rouge Angles of Satin: When he doesn't get much sleep, he tends to write his own name as "Hatsting" or even "Hatagnits".

Murph

A somewhat slow guy, he was originally a Ranger in Fiore with a Slowpoke as his partner Pokémon. Eventually, he became the PR head of the Ranger Union. In Guardian Signs, he is deployed to Oblivia on The Union to assist the player.

Ascended Extra: Over the course of the series, he went from a minor character to a fairly important one and finally to a main character.

The Ditz: How he became a Ranger is a mystery, but he gets stuck with "missions" such as changing lightbulbs, building a sandcastle, and "How far can you walk in 100 steps?"

Dreadful Musician: He has a horrid song made in his image that he'll sing for you if you complete his Quest in Shadows of Almia.

The Heart: Fits this role in Guardian Signs, being the glue that holds the team together.

Took a Level in Badass: Well, not exactly "badass", but by the second game he's stopped being a ranger, which he was terrible at, and instead is the head of the Ranger Union's public relations, a job he's much more skilled at.

Aria

A fellow ranger in Ringtown. She's abrasive and smug to those around her, but she has a kinder side she doesn't like to show.

The Go-Rock Squad

A gang of scoundrels with a bad fashion sense and an odd obsession with music. Their objective is known only to the top brass, but they have been controlling wild Pokémon in the Fiore region and causing mischief, and as such must be taken down by the Ranger Union.

Gordor

The leader of the Go-Rock Squad and one of Professor Hastings' former colleagues. By stealing and improving upon Professor Hastings' Super Styler design, he intends to control legendary Pokémon and unleash them on Fiore, so that he may then present himself and the Go-Rock Squad as heroes by stopping them. He bears a strong grudge against the Ranger Union and wants to drive them out of the region and replace them.

Heel–Face Turn: He shows up in the final Ranger Net mission to stop The Remnant of his Go-Rock Squad from stealing the Manaphy egg, reprimand them, tell them to cut out the Pokemon-abusing world-conquering crap, and then inform the player that he's taken their last words to him to heart.

Jerkass: From the moment you meet him, even before he's learned to be the Big Bad, he does nothing but insult you and everyone and everything else.

Obviously Evil: It's pretty obvious from the moment you see him he's the bad guy, and they don't really try to hide it either.

Ominous Pipe Organ: Not only does it feature in his leitmotif, the Power Styler he developed is actually shaped (and used) like one!

Save the Villain: After the Power Styler is destroyed, Entei immediately turns on him. Being an upstanding fellow, you of course must save him.

Go-Rock Quads

From youngest to eldest, Tiffany, Clyde, Garrett, and Billy. The sons and daughter of Gordor, they act as his main enforcers. Apparently, being related to the boss is the only way one can get a promotion in the Go-Rock Squad... After the collapse of the Go-Rock Squad, they decide to go straight and become a famous band.

Berserk Button: Clyde has a bit of a temper. In Shadows of Almia, Billy says that Clyde stormed out of the park in anger because he thought the lyrics to "Dream Energy," which was written by Blake Hall, sucked. Also, his line in the original motto is "the rhythm of rage pounds the ground!"

Demoted to Extra: In Guardian Signs. They're major villains in the original and still a big part of the plot in Shadows of Almia, but here they are solely around for a Quest, albeit the final one.

The Dragon: Billy, as the oldest, fits this role. He even gets a unique battle theme.

Faux Affably Evil: Garrett speaks in a polite manner, but makes sure every word of his is as biting as possible.

Friendly Enemy: They all act very Affably Evil towards the Rangers in most encounters, even if being competitive and insulting. As opposed to their father, who's a total Jerkass.

Heel–Face Turn: Appear again in the next two games as an ordinary, not-doing-evil-things band. And they don't like Blake Hall one bit in the second, perhaps because they realize that he's up to essentially the same stuff that Gordor was doing before him. Their responses to Altru Inc.'s efforts to dictate the structure of their upcoming concert are... less than cordial.

Musical Assassin: They had their Power Stylers built directly into their musical instruments, allowing them to summon and control Pokémon by playing them.

Only in It for the Money: Clyde doesn't really care much about his father's evil plan. He just wants to make some money off of it.

The Pokémon Ranger Union

Kellyn and Kate

Like the game before it, Shadows of Almia also offers the player a choice of male or female. Unlike the last game, the gender not chosen does not become a separate character, and simply doesn't appear. Kellyn is the male, while Kate is the female.

Badass Adorable: They seem to be younger than the Rangers of the first and third game, considering that they come fresh from the academy once they go to work, though the manga lists their ages as being the same as Lunick and Solana's (16). Taken Up to Eleven when they use the Vatonage Styler and manage to defeat Darkrai!

Cutting Off the Branches: Guardian Signs references Kellyn by name, suggesting that he's the canon hero of Shadows of Almia.

Ensign Newbie: Badass enough to be promoted to Top Ranger shortly after after graduating.

Idiot Hero: He has a tendency to run in head-first and get himself into trouble, requiring you to bail him out. He has his moments, however.

Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Comes off as this at the beginning of the game in their time as Rangers. He then takes a 10-Minute Retirement in Fiore, then comes back as a Top Ranger with the hero, and he becomes more supportive. He gets even nicer when the hero saves him from captivity, and saves the hero when he/she gets sucked into a void of darkness in the finale. He accompanies you on the extra mission to Darkrai and gives some help.

Made of Iron: This guy should get some credit for being slammed by a Magmortar, crashing into that really far cliff, then flying back on a Staraptor at probably high speed, and diving to save the hero from dying.

Obliviously Evil: He's the one who designed the Miniremo and the Incredible Machine, but he's not a villain. In fact, Team Dim Sun has to kidnap his sister to force him to make the final adjustments on the Incredible Machine.

Team Dim Sun

Another squad with the technology to control Pokémon, Team Dim Sun seeks to put every Pokémon in the Almia region under their command. In reality, Team Dim Sun is a front for Altru Inc.'s goal to find a better energy source than oil; namely, enslaved Pokémon.

Ice

The first of the Sinis Trio, Dim Sun's top three enforcers. Ice is cool and mocking, and even more intelligent than he puts on.

Badass Longcoat: It goes down nearly to his feet, and he is quite the badass.

Meaningful Name: Despite this, he's not much of An Ice Person. You first meet him in an icy place, and he sics a Froslass on you, but after that he uses other types. The name refers to his cool demeanor and personality.

Techno Wizard: He wasn't content with the programming that Isaac taught him, and studied more on his own to make things such as delayed traps and sturdy programming that even Isaac has difficulty cracking.

Mr. Kincaid

Click here to see him in his Dim Sun uniform.

An eccentric teacher at the Ranger School. He has no patience for students running in the hallways, and works on odd research projects in the school's basement. In reality, he's a chief enforcer of Team Dim Sun, second only to Blake, and took the teaching job to try and scout impressionable students to Team Dim Sun.

Bad Boss: His minions would rather jump off a ship than face his wrath. Not to mention that he sinks said ship with minions still on it and flies away on a Gliscor.

Berserk Button: Running in the hallways. This isn't just part of his teacher act; even Team Dim Sun dares not run in the hallways around him.

The Dragon: He handles most of Team Dim Sun's day-to-day operations, and reports only to President Hall.

Dragon Ascendant: In a Wi-Fi downloadable mission, he is the leader of what remains of Team Dim Sun, now known as Team Debonairs.

Evil Teacher: In this case, his villainy is fairly separate from his teaching, though he has been corrupting students.

Exit Pursued By A Whale: During the main game, he is last seen being chased by the Wailord whose child he captured.

Although he survives and goes on to found Team Debonairs in a downloadable mission.

Improbable Hairstyle: His swirly hair. Other characters often poke fun at it, much to his annoyance.

Mad Scientist: We're never told just what it is he does in the basement of the school.

The Mole: Planted in the Ranger School to sway students to Team Dim Sun's cause.

The Sociopath: He has absolutely no problem with scuttling the cargo ship and killing everyone aboard.

Surrounded by Idiots: Exclaims this a few times, especially when his men try to convince him a Wailmer is a mini-Wailord (which, in a sense, it is, but that doesn't matter to Kincaid).

Blake Hall/Wyatt Hall

The current president of Altru Inc. His goal is to find a better energy source than oil, his company's primary resource. Astute players will notice the seemingly infinite amount of oil Team Dim Sun has access to and make a connection. Indeed, Blake is the one funding and leading Team Dim Sun. His birth name was Wyatt Hall.

Affably Evil: He seems to sincerely want to improve the world and is fairly cordial to the player, even if he's mad with power.

Dramatic Wind: Used to great effect with his billowing ponytail before the final confrontation.

Graceful Loser: Blake takes his defeat quite well, willingly surrendering for questioning. This holds especially true after having his father's diary read to him, and realizing what a fool he'd been.

Meaningful Rename: His father renamed him from Wyatt to Blake ceremonially in front of the Shadow Crystal. That day marked the newly-christened Blake's capitulation to the power and influence of the Shadow Crystal.

Visionary Villain: He is convinced — convinced — that enslaving Pokémon and using them for labor or warfare is the glorious future for Almia he must usher in.

Brighton Hall

The previous president of Altru Inc., and Blake's father. All that's left of his legacy is a painting in the Altru building and a shack where he spent his days digging for oil.

Dead Man Writing: Though it's never stated, it's implied that Brighton has passed on and the book you're reading is his memoirs.

Dug Too Deep: He wound up discovering the Shadow Crystal, which was the start of all his problems.

Honest Corporate Executive: Implied to have been this, along with his father Doyle. Nevertheless, his desperation to preserve his business ended up unintentionally turning his son into what he is in the present.

Ukelele Pichu

One of the Pichu native to Dolce Island. This one holds a toy ukelele that Booker built, and plays it by sending electric charges through it. After you help it out and rescue its friends, it sticks with you as your partner Pokemon.

Badass Adorable: Unlike other assists, Pichu will keep assisting even if it's struck by attacks from Mewtwo and ARCEUS.

Doomed Home Island: Near the end of the game, Dolce Island (Pichu's native island) is completely destroyed by the Sky Fortress's energy cannon.

Booker

An elderly woodcarver who built everything from ukeleles to bridges to the Ranger Union's flagship. He rescues you from Dolce Island early on and helps you out with any repairs needed for bridges or boats.

The Pokémon Pinchers

A band of poachers that have been capturing Pokémon left and right across Oblivia. Their primary targets are Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Some Pinchers have found old suits of Steelhead armor in Oblivia's ruins, which grant them even stronger control over Pokémon.

Red Eyes

A prominent figure and one of the leaders within the Pokémon Pinchers. He shoots you down at the beginning of the game and remains a constant thorn in your side for much of what follows. He's not all that bad a guy, and after leaving the group he thinks things over and helps you out a few times in the post-game.

Big Bad Duumvirate: Introduced as one of the leaders of the Pokémon Pinchers alongside Blue Eyes. In reality, he's just a pawn to Purple Eyes, who is himself a pawn to the Societea.

Villainous Friendship: It's implied that he's fairly close with Blue Eyes, being willing to negotiate her release.

Worthy Opponent: He comes to see the player as this over time. In the postgame, he even seeks you out just to have a friendly rematch with his non-brainwashed Blaziken.

Blue Eyes

Another boss of the Pinchers, Blue Eyes crosses your path several times. In an unusual aversion of Villain: Exit, Stage Left!, you capture and retain her after your first encounter and, while she's released later, things never go well for her following that.

Sabios

The Oracle of the Dark Temple. Many years ago, he devised the Golden Armor and the Sky Fortress to achieve immortality and great power, and attempted to conquer the world. He was defeated by a great hero, but the Golden Armor and Sky Fortress still exist to this day.

Purple Eyes

A shady third boss of the Pinchers, who isn't really revealed to even exist until later. He's both Red and Blue Eyes' superior, and the head of the Pokémon Pinchers. He is employed by the Societea, but after being disbanded seeks revenge.

Kick the Son of a Bitch: The first thing we learn when he makes his dramatic reappearance at the finale of the game is that he stole the Golden Armor from Arley, Kasa, and Hocus, and either threw them from the Sky Fortress or at least left them very roughed up. Edward, at least, seems distraught by this.

Kill All Humans: After being arrested by the Ranger Union at the end of the game, repeated questioning broke him and turned him into a humanity-hating misanthrope who wants Arceus to wipe out all other humans (aside from himself).

Knight of Cerebus: Very, very much so. One of the few Pokémon characters to outright attempt murder, among other villainous acts.

On a meta level, most Pokémon villains target Pokemon for slavery or death, but Purple Eyes is the first villainous character to want humanity wiped out.

Laser-Guided Karma / Do Not Order Arceus Around: There are a few nasty villains in the Pokéverse, but Purple Eyes was so bad that he asked Arceus to wipe out all of humanity. Arceus' response after being calmed down is to personally remove him from the mortal plane.

Red Oni, Blue Oni: As befitting his name, with himself. During the story, he's cocky, smug, and somewhat Hot-Blooded. After his imprisonment, he becomes cold, unfeeling, stoic, and even worse of a person, calmly and inflectionlessly advocating the destruction of humanity.

The Societea

Forty years ago, a band of thieves called the Societea looted and plundered all manner of riches across the world. They are now too old for that, but upon learning the legend of the immortality-granting Golden Armor and powerful Sky Fortress, they reunited for one last job — eternal life and the whole world. To this end, they founded and financially back the Pokémon Pinchers.

Dr. Edward

A doctor living in Oblivia, he wanders the region making house calls and visiting his friends. 40 years ago, he and three of his friends were a band of thieves known as the Societea. Fearing death, he reunited with the other three and began pursuing immortality and world domination.

Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Played with. He is actually a real doctor, and states outright that he always wanted to be one; in his own words, "When you think about bad deeds from morning to night, you want to do a few good deeds to get a little balance in your life."

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